Cycle Repairing and Adjusting
With a Chapter on building a Bicycle from a Set of Parts

CYCLE ENAMELLING AND PLATING 77 readily to the contour of the article. For flat work, such as cranks, nuts, etc., the leather-covered wood bobs need no improvement. After being properly manipulated on these bobs, the articles should then be finished with a grease mop and flour emery, and afterwards with a dry lime mop, when the surface can be examined and any defective place made good. The metal deposited will not cover up or hide the least scratch ; if anything, it will make it more glaring. Bobs and mops should always be kept in a dry place, and should be true both vertically and laterally. Covered bobs especially should be carefully examined to see that the leather has not become detached. When the articles are polished, they can be transferred to the hot potash and cleaned and scoured in the usual way, and immediately transferred to the copper bath. The ordinary cyanide solution, used hot, in an iron tank, not galvanised, gives best results at about 150° F. If it should be found that the work comes out discoloured, add a little ammonia. If the conductivity is such that when the work is in the vat the solution does not “ boil ” up and become covered with a creamy-looking foam, a little cyan- ide of potassium will put things right. Leave the articles for about half an hour in the coppering bath, which, if in good condition, will soon be covered with the creamy lather mentioned. In the time stated there will be a very good deposit. Remove the goods into the hot water, and dry off in hot sawdust. Now pass the parts on to the polishing machine, and bring them to a high polish, and once more return to the potash to be cleaned. This will discolour the surface, but